


A Deal's a Deal

by Piinetrees



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Swearing, fuck tags, gideon isn't an ass, healthy billdip relationship, i guess dippers magic now idk i wrote this a year ago
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7081963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piinetrees/pseuds/Piinetrees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>edit 5/7/17 lbr this is a total mess wherever it goes it goes but I'm finishing it no matter how it ends</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Here to Stay

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to messy plot hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: 5/7/17 I'll be damned if i finish this but you bet your ass I will.   
> no editing past chapters we die like men

The forest wind blew peacefully through the tall trees and carried happily chirping birds across the sky. It's been ten years since the events of Weirdmageddon left Gravity Falls in shambles, but now that the quiet little town was fixed, more and more people began to wonder: what, or who, really caused Weirdmageddon? No one was buying the saying, "Nevermind all that" because for years after the attack, Gravity Falls became an even bigger tourist attraction. To one of the old twins deep in the forest, that meant more business for his beloved shack.

~

Stanley and Stanford Pines returned from their long journey at sea with the Stan-o-War and reclaimed the shack from Soos and Melody. The couple had moved away once the twins returned, saying something about being able to start a family now without the responsibility of the shack. Though the two were still grateful that the Pines entrusted their shack to them while they were away. Once back at home, Stanley took to scamming the new crowd of tourists like a natural again. Stanford hadn't changed a bit, either. He went back to his basement to start experimenting once again, hoping to find a way to destroy the only remains of Weirdmageddon.

~

Deep in the pines beyond the mystery shack rests a figure many only believe in campfire stories. As its legend explains, the statue can be reanimated if one foolish soul takes its outstretched hand and makes a deal. The statue has gained many names over the years, but only one family knows it's true name: Bill Cipher. Several young, naive children venture the woods looking for the allusive creature, only to be found by their parents and promptly taken home, their fears of their children making a deal with a statue getting the best of them. After ten years of children searching for the statue with no success, the reason it could never be found was no longer because it was far too hidden. Rather, the reason for its allusiveness is because it mysteriously disappeared.

~

"Stanley, I'm heading out to town to pick up some groceries and supplies for my basement. Other than the essential milk and eggs, do you need anything?" A voice yelled as it walked up from the basement.

"Oho look at this everyone, the best attraction yet. My brother, actually leaving the basement! And going outside!" The old grunkle always made it a point to tease his twin whenever he left his lab downstairs.

"Very funny, Stanley. I'll be on my way now. I shouldn't be too long." Stan ushered Ford out of the house.

"Yeah yeah, get out already, old man. You need the fresh air."

"You're just as old as I am!" The door slammed shut before he could get a response. Ford grumbled to himself before climbing into Stan's old, worn car and driving off. He hoped to survive the car trip, seeing as the rusty old heap he drove could give in at any moment. He made a mental note to attempt to fix it later that summer.

~

"And don't come back, you bum!" A gruff and angry voice hollered as a man was thrown out of a convenience store. The guy huffed and stormed off down the street.

"So much for convenience." A tall but skinny man waltzed through town after being kicked out of nearly every shop.

"What's that supposed to mean anyways? "Bum?" If that horrid human knew who I was he'd think twice about calling me that…" He entered one of the few stores he was allowed in and wandered aimlessly through the aisles, gaining many disgusted looks from fellow shoppers. Even if he noticed, he wouldn't blame them. His attire wasn't the most pleasing. An old, dirty sweater and ripped jeans. His golden hair was a mess, too. It was long and unruly. Clearly, this man had no idea what personal hygiene meant. The man went noticed by everyone, including Stanford Pines, who took more interest in him than the other shoppers. He followed the man discretely for a few moments before realising just exactly who the man was.

"Y-you! Hey, stop right there!" Ford stood in shock for a few moments before chasing after the ragged man. He turned towards Ford and immediately recognised him, eyes widening before he bolted for the door. Ford wasn't too far behind.

"Stay away from me, old man!" He yelled at Ford as he ran through the small town and into the forest. Ford didn't reply, he was too busy catching up with him. He may have been old, but he still managed to tail the man and tackle him to the ground. Though, he was at an advantage seeing as the man was in very poor condition and by no means had enough energy to outrun even Ford. He finally gave up without struggle and glared at the older man from the ground.

"The hell do you want?! Get off me! This is assault!"

"I know who you are, why are you here?! Why do you look like… that?! You've done enough damage to this town, what more do you want?!" Ford was infuriated at the man on the ground. His frustration was only returned with a smug grin. His entire demeanor changed from wanting Ford off of him to taunting him.

"Aw, did you miss me that much, Fordsy? It's been a while since you've seen me in this body, hasn't it? Tell me, how's Pine Tree and Shooting Star? Can't forget your brother too, he still kicking?" Ford punched the man square in the jaw. Instead of laughter, the man actually seemed pained by the throw.

"What, I thought you found pain hilarious. At least, that's what you thought the last time we met, Bill Cipher."

~

"Dippeeeeer!! You're driving so slow! We're so close, I can almost smell the shack! Just drive a little faster, bro-bro!" Mabel was restless the entire drive from California back to Gravity Falls; it had been well over five years since they've visited their great uncles. The first time they visited, the two were only 12 years old. Now, the two were nearing their 22nd birthday. Both of them were itching with anticipation to come back, seeing how school had ruined their yearly summer visits. Now, they were just a few miles away from their home away from home. Dipper laughed at his sisters excitement.

"We'll be there in a few minutes, Mabel, I bet we won't even get through one of your songs before we arrive. Play something and we'll be there before you know it." Mabel's face lit up as she pushed the button on the radio to play Disco Girl. Dipper immediately turned it off, his face turning a light pink.

"Anything but that," He pleaded, much to his sisters disagreement.

"Aww, cmon!" Just as she was about to play the song again, Dipper's phone rang and he had to pull over once he realised the ringtone belonged to his uncle Ford.

"Huh? What's he calling for? He must really miss us!" Mabel beamed.

"No, no… he wouldn't call unless something came up. I don't like the feeling of this." Dipper answered the phone hesitantly.

"Hello? Grunkle Ford? What?! Cancel the trip? Well, we're too close now. No- great uncle Ford, listen- we're not turning around! It- it's been five years, Mabel and I both miss you two, what could possibly be such a problem that we have to go home because of it?!" All the color in Dipper's face faded, and he looked like he'd just seen a ghost. His jaw nearly dropped to the ground along with his phone.

"Dipper? What's up? Did something bad happen to Grunkle Ford?" Mabel picked up the phone.

"Grunkle Ford? Are you okay? What's going on, Dip doesn't look too good…"

…

"What do you mean he's back…?"


	2. Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember when this story had a plot that made sense   
> yea I miss that too lol

* * *

Back at the Mystery Shack, Stan was running the gift shop and tours by himself. Wendy had taken the week off to spend time with her family and no one else was willing to work for Stan.

"At least when the kids show up I'll have some extra help around. And I won't even have to pay them!" As he was speaking out loud to himself, a family of three walked into the shop.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack! Here for a tour or looking for a great souvenir at amazingly high prices?"

"Where's the triangle statue?" The little kid with the two adults spoke up. "We've been looking for it for hours!

The boy was probably around 12 years old. The same age Dipper and Mabel were their first visit. He had the same glint of wonder and adventure in his eyes. Stan couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"Sorry, kid. No one's been able to find that thing in the ten years it's been out there. You're gonna need a lot longer than a few hours to find it. But hey! Don't give up hope! My niece and nephew'll be here in a few minutes, I'm sure they'd be happy to help ya search." The kids parents looked tired and we're obviously done with searching. The kid's face lit up with excitement.

"Really?!" He looked to his parents who looked at him completely exhausted. Stan was about to say something when the door swung open and Ford crashed through. With another person.

"Ford, what the hell?! I got customers here. And who's the blond guy?" Stan eyed his brother and the man he was holding. Ford had his hands held behind his back and was pushing him through the shop.

"No time to explain, Stanley. But this man is Bill Cipher. The kids will be here soon, be ready and close the shop. Now." He grumbled to himself about Dipper refusing to drive back to California. He knew having the siblings here would only cause more trouble, but it was too late now. Stan was at a loss for words when Ford told him who the man was. He turned to the very confused family.

"Uh, nevermind. The statue is gone, I'm afraid the Mystery Shack is closed for the day. Have a nice trip. And see you, kid. Don't lose that adventurous attitude of yours, got it?" He herded the family out of the shop and locked the door behind them. He had to admit, it was hard turning down a kid with such ambition. He looked disappointed, but his parents seemed relieved they could leave.  
There was no point in searching anyways. The statue they were looking for was mere feet away from them.

~

Dipper and Mabel pulled up to the shack a few minutes after Ford had arrived with Bill. He hadn't filled the twins in completely over the phone, but the two knew to expect Bill. What they didn't expect, however, was that Bill wasn't in his usual triangle form.

As they both entered the house, arguing could be heard from the living room. All three voices were recognisable, but the one that sent chills down Dipper's spine was Bill's.

"What're we gonna do with him?! He's not staying here, that's for damn sure!" Stan pointed an angry finger at Bill.

"Get that out of my face before you lose it, old man." Bill slapped his hand away. Ford sighed.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have taken him here, but I wasn't going to let him wander Gravity Falls alone! Who knows what he's planning."

"Who said I'm planning anything at all, huh?" The Stan twins looked at him and spoke in unison.

"You're always planning something!" Bill was about to retort when Dipper and Mabel walked in.

"Great uncle Ford! Are you alright? You said he was back, where's… Bill…?" Dipper looked between his Grunkles and saw the new blond. His eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Is that Bill? Wow, he's not that bad looking! But oh my god does he look pretty beat up. Grunkle Ford, did you hurt him?" Mabel walked over to Bill, who was sitting on the arm of the couch, and inspected his appearance. "Yeesh, you need a shower!" Bill rolled his eyes.

"Mabel, sweetie, back away. He's dangerous. That is in fact, Bill Cipher." Ford gently pulled Mabel away from Bill. "I went out to go shopping when I ran into him at the store. I recognised the body he was in… a long time ago, when the two of us worked together, he showed me what his "human" form looked like. A foolish mistake, because I was able to remember and knew who he was immediately. I sort of kidnapped him, and now he's here…"

"You what?! That's so not cool, Grunkle Ford." Mabel was clearly unhappy with how Ford handled the situation. She crossed her arms and looked at Bill.

"How sweet, standing up for me Shooting Star. What are you now, 22? Did ya miss me? Of course you did!" Bill laughed and looked at Dipper, who had been staring at him since he walked in. "Like what you see, Pine Tree?" A smug grin crept up on his lips and he stood to walk to Dipper. Stan grabbed his arm and yanked him back down onto the couch. Dipper backed away into a wall, his body trembling at the nickname. He opened his mouth to speak, but the situation took the words out of him. He was too shocked to say anything.

_Is this really Bill? How did he get like this? What about his statue? And why does he seem a lot less… dangerous than before?_

Dipper had a million questions, and he was desperate for answers.

"Hey, Ford, why haven't we tied this guy up yet? Who knows what he can do to the kids." Stan glared at Bill who only returned with a smirk.

"Right, yes... you have a point, Stanley, but for some reason… I don't think he can hurt us. I've noticed he seems different. I'll take him down to my lab later and conduct some experiments to clarify that he's harmless."

"Excuse me, I'm right here! I'm not some kind of lab rat, you know! And don't go making assumptions, I'm still as dangerous as I was ten years ago. Ah, Weirdmageddon… what a nice memory." His laughter filled the silent room once again before Mabel spoke.

"Experiments?! Grunkle Ford, no! Look at him, he hasn't done anything wrong yet." Mabel looked to her brother for support. He managed to regain his voice and nodded.

"She's right, great uncle Ford. I know we've had a bad past with him, but… I don't know, but I just feel like we should give him a chance." Dipper's words surprised Bill and he stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"A chance to what? Kill us?! Dipper, we can't just let him go." Stan put a hand on his nephews shoulder and sighed.

"I know that, we're not letting him go. But can't we at least treat him with some decency? He looks like he's been on the streets for weeks. And he smells like it too…" Dipper frowned, and Bill looked offended.

"I was just starting to like you, kid. How rude." He crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch.  
Stan nodded slightly and turned to Ford.

"You can deal with this, Ford. You kidnapped him because you thought he could be a threat to Gravity Falls. So, what do we do?" Ford saw Mabel's pleading face and couldn't say no to her. Besides, he too thought Bill was bluffing about being dangerous.

"I trust Mabel and Dipper to do what they think is right. If that means letting him stay in Dipper's room, then fine. He's absolutely not staring with Mabel, got it? I trust Dipper to keep an eye on him." Neither of the twins seemed to protest, though Dipper did grimace at the thought of rooming with Bill.

"Hey, hey! Who said I even wanted to stay here?" Bill stood and crossed his arms.

"Where else are you gonna go, silly? We're helping you! No offence, but it does kind of look like you've been living on the streets." Mabel heard his stomach growl and she frowned. "Oh my gosh, when's the last time you've eaten?! Dipper, go give him a shower and I'll cook us something to eat." She pushed the two towards the stairs, both of them resisting. Dipper did not want to help Bill with a shower, and Bill didn't want their help.

"Why can't I cook instead? Bill can shower himself!" Dipper stopped at the end of the stairs and looked at his sister who only laughed.

"I didn't mean help him actually shower, bro-bro! Just get him some clothes and make sure he doesn't do anything dumb like put shampoo in his eyes. Plus, you're not exactly a master chef, Dip. Mabel can handle the cooking! Now go!" This time, both men walked reluctantly up the stairs where Dipper gestured to the bathroom, leaving Bill to figure out the rest.

"Mabel, honey, is this really a good idea? He's a demon, remember that." Ford watched as his niece started to cook. Stan had sat down at the table and listened to their conversation.

"It'll be fine, don't worry! Now shoo, go sit with Grunkle Stan."

~

Dipper rummaged through his dresser to find some of his clothes that would fit Bill. His clothes would be small on the demon, but at least they were clean. Bill was at least three inches taller. His skin was a golden tan and his eyes were a piercing amber. His yellow-blond hair was long and unkept.

Bill finished with his shower and dressed himself in the clothes Dipper had left for him. He walked out looking -and smelling- much better than he did a few minutes ago.

"I don't need your family's help, you know. I can do perfectly fine on my own." Bill leaned against the doorframe in Dipper's room, which will soon be the room he slept in as well. He must've startled Dipper because the boy flinched slightly when he spoke.

"Well that's too bad, were helping you whether you like it or not. You can't live on the streets anymore, I'd just feel bad throwing you out. Plus, this way we can keep an eye on you." Bill crossed his arms.

"I could just leave. You're not strong enough to keep me here. I'd destroy you."

Dipper laughed and looked at him, crossing his arms to mimic him and smiling.

"You won't."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dipper's not having any of your shit, Bill


	3. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The rest of the day after Bill arrived was fairly quiet. Ford went back down to his lab and Stan had gone out to go shopping, since Ford came back with Bill rather than groceries. They thought about the danger of leaving the kids alone with Bill, until they remembered the two 21 year olds were no longer kids.

 

"They'll be fine, plus they're not really alone. You'll be here, just in your freaky lab. Besides, if you're so worried about them why don't you just stay up here? They drove all this way to see us and you're still cooped up downstairs." Stan lectured Ford before he left.

 

"I suppose you're right, Stanley. I do feel bad for not spending time with them, however, with Bill here brings more questions that I need to answer as soon as possible. I need to find out how he reanimated his statue, and more importantly why he's using his human form. He won't say a word, so I need to find out myself."

 

"Yeah yeah, get to it, nerd boy. Just don't stay in there all day, okay? The kids miss us. They miss you, Ford. Don't let that demon take them away from you." Ford nodded and watched as Stan's car left before going down to his lab.

He had a lot of work to do.

 

~

 

Bill couldn't go anywhere around the house without Dipper, Mabel, or both of them tailing him. Mabel followed him for the most part, but sometimes Dipper would join in or switch with her when she needed to do something.

 

"I'm not a toddler, you don't need to supervise me." Bill stopped abruptly while walking and Mabel ran into him, not expecting him to stop.

 

"You're still a demon, Bill. As much as I hate to think you'd do something bad, I have to keep an eye on you! Don't think of it as supervising, think of it as a friend accompanying you!" Bill rolled his eyes at the overly happy girl and turned to face her.

 

"A friend? You? Ha! You're hilarious, Shooting Star, really. That's like saying Dipper and I are friends; which we're not by the way. And we never will be. How long are you guys gonna keep me here anyways?" Mabel shrugged

 

"Dunno. That's up to grunkle Ford. And you two should be friends! You're rooming together, so might as well try to be friendly. Look, I know you've done some really bad things, but were grownup now and all that stuffs in the past. C'mon, Bill,think of this as your second chance to change! Maybe you don't have to be evil after all." While Mabel tried to stay optimistic, Bill laughed and stepped closer towards her

 

"You're really funny, kid." He kept moving closer and closer to her, forcing her to back up against a wall. He was mere inches away from her face.

 

"You think I can change? Me? A dream demon?! You have no idea what I'm capable of, Star. If you think Weirdmageddon was bad, you haven't seen anything. I can do so much more than turn people to statues. Do not underestimate me. I'm not your friend, and I never will be." He punched the wall near her head, causing her to jump and shrink down in fear.

 

"Bill… get away from me…" Mabel's voice was shaking.

 

"Mabel, are you okay, I heard a loud- Bill!" Dipper ran downstairs after hearing the pound on the wall and saw the position his sister was in. He pulled on the back of Bill's shirt collar and threw him to the floor face down, pinning his arms behind his back.

 

"If you _ever_ touch my sister again, I will kill you!! I'm not scared of you, Bill." After a few seconds Dipper released Bill and immediately regretted confronting the demon. It was now him backed against a wall with Bill a hair away from his face. Bill had stood up and trapped him before Dipper could realise what had happened.

 

"You really think you'd be able to take me down? Hah!" Bill laughed in his face and took his chin between his fingers, tilting his face this way and that as if inspecting every inch of it. Dipper had to admit, the man was intimidating. He stood his ground and watched Bill eye him down and watched as a wide, toothy grin spread across his face. The demon laughed again before releasing Dipper and backing away.

 

"You've got guts, kid. I like that. But guts will get you no where. You'd never be able to kill me."

 

 _Then how come you were so easy to take down, oh all powerful demon_. 

 

Dipper thought to himself, but didn't dare say anything out loud. Instead, he walked over to a frightened Mabel and comforted her.

 

"Should we get grunkle Ford? He's downstairs, I'm surprised he didn't hear anything." Dipper hugged his sister.

 

"No, it's alright. He didn't hurt me, Dip. Don't worry, I'm alright, really!" Dipper was glad to see that she was back to her normal, happy self.

 

"Okay, if you say so, sis. We just gotta keep a closer eye on him." Bill watched the two and rolled his eyes, walking out of the shack.

 

"I hate you both. I hate this entire family." He grumbled. Dipper heard him and followed him out.

 

"Where are you going? I'm going to go follow him, if grunkle Ford asks just tell him we went for a walk." His sister nodded and smiled.

 

"Aye-aye, Dipdop!"

 

~

 

Dipper almost had to sprint to keep up with Bill, yet he seemed to stride quickly through the trees with ease.

 

"Slow down, will ya? I'm-I'm not fit for this kind of activity." Dipper panted and tried his best to keep up. He nearly tripped over rocks and fallen trees a few times, earning a laugh from the blond ahead of him.

 

After a while of walking, Bill disappeared from Dipper's view.

 

"Bill? Bill!" Dipper called out for the demon, but no one answered.

 

Dipper ran through the forest for hours trying to find Bill, panic flooding him at the though of losing a demon.

 

"Oh my god oh my god this isn't happening this can't be happening where is he he's gone Ford is going to kill me" He rambled to himself as he walked through the same area he knew he'd been to at least three times in the past few hours.

 

"What if he planned this what if he knew I'd follow him and now he's watching me search for him and he's planning to sneak up behind me and kill me oh my god I'm going to die" He started to hyperventilate, partly because of all the running and partly because of how fast he was speaking to himseld without proper breathing. He leaned against a tree and caught his breath, trying to calm himself down.

 

"Okay, Dipper, you can do this. Just go back to the shack and tell Ford what happened, he'll understand. I'm sure dealing with him would be a lot better than dealing with Bill… wait…" He looked around and noticed how dark the forest was getting.

 

"Oh. My god. How do I get back to the shack. Which direction is the shack? Oh god I'm lost I'm lost and I'm going to die. No. Right right, the sun sets in the west… or was it east? No, it's definitely west so if the sun is that way… fuck! I don't know where the shack is in relation to the sun! That's it I'm dead." Dipper pulled at his hair and started walking in a random direction, hoping to come across something familiar. After a bit of walking, he heard twigs snap nearby. Then, he heard what sounded like the crunching of leaves and sticks underneath something walking towards him.

 

"Shit." Dipper's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

 

It was almost completely dark in the forest now and Dipper was alone with someone, or something, and it was getting closer. In a panic, the boy ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction of the sound. He could still hear noises all around him.

 

_This isn't happening, this isn't happening_.

 

"Shit!"

 

Before he knew it, Dipper was face first on the ground. Sort of. There was definitely something between his body and the ground, and it smelled like Mabel.

 

"M-Mabel?" Dipper reached out and touched the face of the person beneath him.

 

"Not even close, kid. What's with you and your sister today? Both of you ran into me, and you even knocked me down! By the by, can you get off me? Besides, I'm not a huge fan of being on the bottom." Dipper couldn't see it, but he knew Bill's face was plastered with an arrogant grin. Thank god for the dark, otherwise Bill would have a field day poking fun at Dipper's cherry face.

 

"First of all, gross. Second, It's late and dark, where the hell did you go?! I've been searching this place for hours so you better have a good explanation, punk. And why do you smell like Mabel? That's really creepy, dude." Dipper didn't move.

 

"I'm creepy? You're the one who knows his sister's scent, that's pretty creepy to me. Anyways, I thought you were following me, so your fault for being slow. I did what I needed to and went back to the shack. Your sister knitted me a bunch of sweaters and forced me to wear one while I went out to find you. Your old man was pretty pissed. He was going to come help, but I insisted I'd go myself. See? I'm a nice guy, Pine Tree! You should thank me for being so kind. And again, get off. Unless you like being a top." This time, Dipper threw himself off Bill so fast he knocked into a tree. Bill stood up and walked over to Dipper, placing a hand on his shoulder and laughing.

 

"You're hilarious, Pine Tree, really."

 

"Shut up! Let's go home already…" Dipper shook his hand off and turned on his heel to the shack.

 

"Hey, kid. I gotta tell you something." Dipper groaned and turned around.

 

"What?"

 

"The shack's this way." Bill walked the opposite way Dipper originally went, and the boy followed quietly behind, quite embarrassed.

 

~

 

"Dipper! I hear you got lost. Good thing Bill was around to save you!" Mabel threw herself into Dipper and ruffled his hair, giggling.

 

"I didn't need him. I could've found my way out. But thanks for worrying, I'm alright."

 

"That's good, we were starting to think you died out there." Stan walked in with a cup of coffee.

 

"Coffee? Really? It's like, nine at night." Stan only shrugged at his nephew and sipped his drink.

 

"You three should go to bed, it's late. Ford fell asleep hours ago in his lab, he's been working really hard, so let him rest. I'll tell him you're fine later." The twins nodded and Stan waved them off as he turned and exited the room.

 

"Okay, Dipdop, you're rooming with Bill, so try not to kill each other." Mabel led the two upstairs and went to her room. "Night!"

 

Dipper sighed and walked to his room with Bill following. His room was the one he and his sister shared as a kid, but now that they're older, Mabel took the room they fought over many years ago. The second bed was still there, and still covered in glitter from the time Mabel used it.

 

"You sleep there." Dipper pointed to the bed across from his own and threw some extra blankets and a pillow down onto it. He walked over to his side of the room and plopped down face first onto the bed, letting out a muffled "good night" to Bill.

 

"Night, Pine Tree. Sweet dreams." Bill laughed as he heard Dipper groan into his pillow. It was fun to scare the kid, even though he knew he couldn't do anything to his dreams.

 

~

 

Bill stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep, and though about what Tad had said to him in the forest. 

 

_"If you want it back, all you gotta do is take the kids magic. It'll be easy, Bill! Just tell him the truth."_

_"What if he doesn't help me?"_

_"Bill, buddy, of course he's going to help. He doesn't want you around, so if you tell him the truth, he'll help to get you out of his hair! Come on. It's so damn boring here, Bill. I want to get out there, I'm sick of this grey scale wasteland! If you do this for me, I can get it back for you. It'll just be the two of us."_

_"If I do this, you promise it'll just be you?"_

_"I'm the only one in the mindscape! I promise. Do we have a deal?"_

_"We have a deal, Tad."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> every time I read how many times I made bill laugh in this story I die a little inside


	4. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie I had no idea where this chapter was going but let's roll w it

Chapter 4

Dipper awoke from a surprisingly deep slumber lin the morning. He glanced at the clock, it was nearly 10:30. For a moment, he was glad he slept in seeing as he hadn't done so in quite a long time. However, a weight dropped on his shoulders as he remembered the events of the day prior. He also noted the empty bed across the room from his own where a pesky demon was supposed to be lying. Grumbling to himself, Dipper took advantage of the missing roommate and changed into a new set of clothes before setting out down the stairs.

As he dressed himself, Dipper thought about how much his summer would change with the unexpected and unwanted guest staying with them for an undetermined amount of time. How he'd have to be extra careful with what he said in fear of the demon's wrath, how he'd have to keep an even closer eye on his sister and uncles, and how this whole room situation would work. His heart ached and his stomach churned with stress over the entire ordeal.

He wished that he wouldn't stay long. He wished he hadn't been allowed to stay _at all._

Dipper decided to let his thoughts go and walk to the kitchen before he really started to panic.

The sight he was greeted with in the kitchen was _horrifying_.

Mabel and Bill were standing next to each other cooking breakfast, both in obnoxiously colourful aprons that were obviously made by his sister. Bill didn't seem to mind being dressed in such happy colors, in fact, he actually appeared to be enjoying the outfit. Mabel was of course beaming with joy as she helped the blond make pancakes. She tried to get him to add glitter to the batter, but even he knew that wasn't a good idea. As a compromise, hey settled on bright pink food colouring instead.

"It's about time Sleeping Beauty decided to wake up! We were about to send a prince up to kiss you awake, Pine Tree." Bill sang. He wore a vibrant pastel yellow and blue apron that had "kiss the cook" stitched on the front, accented with enough sequins to kill a man. He ruffled Dipper's already messy hair before turning to help Mabel with some eggs.

"Mabel, what are you doing?" Dipper said sharply. He carefully watched what Bill did as he cooked, slightly on edge about him because of the night before.

"Duh, were making breakfast, ya dork!" Mabel noticed her brother watching and knew he was paranoid about Bill cooking his food. "Don't worry, bro-bro, Bill hasn't poisoned anything. Go sit down with Ford and Stan, it'll be ready soon."

Dipper reluctantly left the kitchen and sat at the table with Stan and Ford, both acting strangely alright with a demon making their meal.

"This isn't concerning you two? At all?" Dipper nervously tapped at the hard wood table.

"Your sister is very persuasive, Dipper. Besides, they seem to be having fun, and I don't see much harm in letting him cook. So long as Mabel watches him, everything should be alright." Ford spoke rather calmly. Dipper internally laughed, but refrained from speaking his mind.

_Yeah, "should."_

Despite his approval, the man sat nervously at the table, paranoid something could still go wrong.

"What about you, Stan? Doesn't this worry you?" Dipper turned to his other uncle and questioned him.

Stan shrugged and sipped his coffee. "Can't really do much about it, kid. He's here to stay, might as well get used to it." It seemed as if Stan had given up on being angry over Bill's presence, however, his cold demeanor towards the demon hasn't changed. He was simply less agitated about him staying.

Dipper sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You're right." He knew his sister was trustworthy and responsible, and everything would have been alright, until the fire alarm went off.

Mabel and Bill came rushing out of the smoking kitchen, coughing and waving smoke away from their faces. The Pines men all stood in shock and stared wide eyed at the flaming stove. Stan had beat Ford to the fire extinguisher and proceeded to frantically douse the flames. While his brother was busy controlling the disaster, Ford drove the younger twins and Bill to a safe distance outside of the house before he harshly questioned the cooks.

"What on earth happened in there?! Mabel, I thought you were watching him!" Ford yelled.

Mabel patted an ash coated spot from her apron and wiped away the tears in her eyes caused by the smoke. "I was, it wasn't his fault-"

Bill cut her off. "It was entirely my fault. I was careless and failed to see how high I had the stove on. I caused the fire, I'm sorry." All three were taken aback by Bill's sudden attitude change, and even Bill looked confused at his own words.

_Where the fuck did that come from?_

Ford was shocked silent for a few moments before speaking up. "I see… well, I'm glad you take full responsibility for this accident. I'm sure it will never happen again, yes? Now once Stanley joins us and confirms its safe to go inside, you will clean up the mess you've made." Bill simply nodded with his eyebrows knit together in shock at himself.

Dipper looked at Mabel with a face that read confusion. His twin stood by his side and looked rather guilty about something, fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. Stan came out of the house after a few silent and awkward minutes, which felt more like hours.

Ford explained to Stan what had happened in the kitchen. "It seems Bill started the fire on accident. If it's safe to go inside, he'll start cleaning immediately."

Before Stan could answer, Bill was already inside the house making his way to the kitchen. "What's up with him? He doesn't seem like his normal self. Whatever normal is for him anyways…"

"He certainly seems different. I'm not sure whether or not this is a good thing. Kids, would you mind following him inside? Please make sure nothing else happens." Dipper and Mabel nodded and quickly followed the blond inside while their grunkles stayed out.

"Stanley, Bill willingly admitted to setting the fire and even apologised. Sounded quite genuine, too… He just doesn't do that, Stanley. Something is wrong with him."

"Yeesh, relax, he just said sorry. Doesn't seem that weird."

"But this is Bill, Stanley! He is weird, but this… this is weird on a whole new level. It's weird because… he's acting normal. And that, for Bill, is weird."

Stan sighed and placed a comforting hand on his brothers shoulder. "It's fine, Ford. If he's not doing anything bad, why get so worked up about it? Frankly, I'd like a new polite Bill. It's a win win here, he learns how to be a decent human being and we don't have to deal with his demon-y shit."

"He's not human, Stanley. That's why I'm worried. It's not that easy to accept, Bill literally cannot feel deep human emotions. Anger, sure, but remorse? Guilt? No. Something is definitely wrong. I need to go to my lab and do some research, would you mind looking after the kids? I don't want to leave them alone for any longer than we already have right now…"

Stan exhaled and walked with his brother back inside. The two parted when Ford reached the vending machine hiding the entrance to his lab, and Stan strolled back towards the kitchen.

~

Bill had already started cleaning when Dipper and Mabel arrived. He tried to convince them he could manage on his own, but the two insisted on helping him.

"Please let us help. This is a lot of work, it'll take you all day to clean by yourself. Besides, we have nothing better to do, we'd feel bad just sitting around watching you." Dipper spoke as he brought out three pairs of rubber gloves and some cleaning supplies from a cabinet that wasn't touched by the flames.

Mabel stared at Bill with guilt plastered on her face. "Bill… why did you lie to grunkle Ford?" Dipper froze and looked at the two. Bill avoided looking at either of them in the eye. "I caused the fire, Bill. Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

The blond wiped ashes off the counter quietly and stared down blankly. He shrugged. "Honestly, Star, I have no idea why I did that. You should've taken the blame, not me. So why the fuck did I defend you?" His last sentence came out as more of a whisper to himself.

"You're right… I should be held responsible for this. I'm going to go tell grunkle Ford the truth-" Bill stood in her way as she tried to walk out of the room.

"No, don't. It's fine. It's already done, just let me take the blame on this. I don't want to talk anymore, can we just clean?"

Mabel reluctantly gave up and went to work helping Bill clean. Dipper cleaned alongside him and watched him very carefully, noting how painfully quiet the room was.

Stan walked in soon after and sat down at the table to watch the three clean and make sure nothing went wrong again.

~

A few hours passed and eventually the kitchen was clean. The kids worked in silence for the most part, speaking only when someone needed more cleaning solution. Luckily for them, the fire only caused smoke to cover a majority of the kitchen; only a few things needed to be trown out due to damage.

While the kitchen was now clean, all three adults were covered in soot, and still hungry. Mabel noted the growls from her brother and Bill's stomach, along with her own, and called at her great uncle.

"Grunkle Stan! The kitchen's all clean, but I think we've done enough cooking for today and we're all still hungry! Can we go down to Greasy's?"

Bill's nose scrunched up in disgust. Dipper looked at the man and placed a hand on his shoulder, his other resting on his hip.

"The food there actually isn't bad, the place is a little old and rusty but it's good." Bill's stomach churned at the boy's touch and he shook his hand off almost immediately. Dipper brushed off the gesture and continued. "Unless you're mean to Susan, the cooks won't put anything gross in your food. So if I were you, I'd try being nice for once."

Bill scowled and crossed his arms. "Yeah yeah whatever, kid. Are we going or not? I'm starving." He moved over to Mabel who was still talking to Stan. The older man shook his head and ran his fingers through his grey hair.

"You kids can go, Ford isn't coming out of that lab for a while so no point in waiting for the old guy. I'll whip something up for the two of us later, go on ahead to Greasy's, but don't go anywhere else. To Greasy's and back, you hear?"

The twins nodded and bid their uncle goodbye, then headed out to the diner.

~

Bill remembered all the wrong he did to the quiet town of Gravity Falls as they walked to the diner. Being in the building itself only brought more memories of destruction and ultimate power. The way he felt about these memories was unsettling, to say the least. He felt an awful mix of accomplishment and regret, almost as if he felt sorry for bringing such misery to innocent townspeople. The thought of being sorry was enough for him to lose his appetite.

"You're not going to eat anything? That's not healthy for you, Bill." Mabel grew concerned but Bill assured her not to.

"I'm fine, Star, just not hungry all of the sudden okay?" He leaned back against the booth and stared up at the ceiling, tuning out the rowdy voices from around the diner. He knew he heard Dipper and Mabel across the table from him whispering about his strange behavior, but he ignored them. He was so deep in thought he hadn't noticed when nearly half an hour passed, and that Mabel had left leaving himself and Dipper alone. He slowly tuned back in and heard partial bits of a conversation next to him.

"Are you sure I can't get him anything? He looks awful." _A woman's voice, she sounds old_.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thank you though, he'll be fine. Probably." _Hmm… Pine Tree… such a soothing voice. Cute, almost. It's ear piercingly annoying._

Once he could no longer hear the footsteps of who he assumed belonged to the woman, Bill sat up and propped his face up with his arms on the table, staring at the man across from him.

"I got you some water, in case you didn't want to dehydrate today. Have a nice nap?" Dipper slid a glass of ice water towards Bill. He took the water graciously and drank half in one go.

"I wasn't napping. Where's the other one? Shooting Star." The diner was nearly empty, save for a few sitting alone at the counter.

"She has a name, you know." Dipper still flinched every time Bill called him or his sister by those names. They brought back such awful memories. "Anyways, while you were off daydreaming, Gideon showed up. They're outside talking right now. He said he wanted to be friends, just like Mabel wanted all those years ago."

"And you trust that weasel? Trusting me is a stretch, but Gideon? I'm pretty sure he's worse than me!" Bill's laugh resonated inside the diner, turning heads from those still there.

"Gideon's not all that bad, Bill." Dipper thought about bringing up the fact that Gideon sold Bill out to save Mabel from her bubble during Weirdmageddon, but decided against it. "Let's talk about something else. How about you tell me what you were doing in the forest yesterday? It must've been important, it felt like hours since you came to find me."

Bill stayed silent and stared straight into Dipper's dark brown eyes with his own golden orbs.

_The deal._

_Earn his trust._

He broke the gaze and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's not important." The demon stood and held out his hand to Dipper. "Let's go, I'm bored of this place. Take me somewhere interesting."

Dipper watched his hand and waved it off. "I don't need your help standing up, thank you. And we can't go anywhere else, grunkle Stan said the diner and back. Besides, we can't leave Mabel with Gideon." The boy stood and looked up at the taller man in front of him.

Bill smirked and took Dipper's hand anyways. "I never said we would leave her, and you play by the rules too much, kid. Have a little fun! You're boring me to death here." He dragged the brunette out of the diner and approached Mabel and Gideon, who seemed to be talking like they've been best friends since grade school.

"Well hello there, Dipper! Ooh, is this your boyfriend? Nice to meet you, I'm Gideon Gleeful. You seemed to be sleeping earlier so I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself." Mabel playfully punched Gideon's arm and laughed.

"This is Bill, he's staying with us at the shack for a while. And they're not dating, silly!" The girl laughed and her brother blushed a bright pink as he yanked his hand away from Bill's.

"We are _not_ together!" His voice cracked in embarrassment.

Bill? And himself? Together? It made him sick just thinking about it. 

Bill seemed enjoy seeing him get worked up and had a smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh come on, Dip! You know we're messing with you bro-bro. Are you ready to go home now?" Dipper was about to reply when Bill jumped in.

"Actually, I want to go somewhere else. Anywhere, really, just someplace fun. I'm bored and I'm sure your old man won't mind if we stayed out a little longer. Just some harmless fun!"

Mabel smiled with excitement. "Why don't we go down to the lake? Last time we were there, we ran into a mechanical lake monster! There's bound to be more weird stuff around there! If you want fun, exploring the unknown is always a great idea."

"That sounds splendid! Mind if I tag along?" Gideon sang. Bill scowled at him and Dipper punched his arm.

"Of course, Gideon. It'll give us a chance to catch up and get to know each other finally." Dipper shot a smug grin at Bill. "You and Bill can get to know each other too. It'll be fun. Isn't that what you wanted, Bill?"

The demon forced a smile and hid his disgust. "Wonderful."

Mabel clapped happily and beamed. "Great! Let's go then!"

~

Dipper walked alongside Bill behind Mabel and Gideon. The four took the long way to the lake after Mabel insisted it would be more adventurous to go through the forest. Bill agreed it would be a lot more fun, but was still ticked about Gideon trailing along. Dipper sensed his frustration and nudged his arm. "You wanted fun, Bill, you didn't specify who with. Be happy I'm going along with your dumb _fun_."

Bill huffed angrily and ignored the man next to him. "Whatever." The demon sneered. "Say, you're pretty calm about this whole going against your uncles rules thing. It's not like you, kid."

Dipper shrugged. "I'm not a kid anymore, sure I'm a little worried about Stan getting mad at me, but what's he gonna do? I'm 21, it's not like he can ground me."

Bill laughed and slapped a hand onto Dipper's back. "I like it, Pine Tree! This new you, it's a lot more entertaining. Finally, you're not scared to break the rules. This summer is gonna be fun."

Dipper shuddered and sped up his walking pace to join his sister at her side. Bill stayed behind, still grinning like a maniac as he watched the twins before him.

_Yes, this summer will be terribly fun._

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
